Re: Metafont and Context

["Wolfgang Werners-Lucchini" <wwl@musensturm.de>]

Hallo!

> > Some questions about the typescript:
> 
> We've reached the limits of my knowledge. I'll have to dig deeper before
> I can be of any help. There is quite a bit I don't yet understand about
> fonts in tex and Context.
> 
> > > \starttypescript [serif] [duerer]
> >                                                ^ no [name] her?
> 
> In other examples an encoding goes here, but it is just a key for
> finding the typescript. This example works without specifying an
> encoding.
> 
> > > \starttypescript [Duerer] 
> > >   \definetypeface [Duerer] [rm] [serif] [duerer] [default] 
> >                                                                     
>  ^
> > what is this 5th parameter for? I have to set this to the fontname?
> 
> It identifies the typescript for the size information. The typescript to
> be found is [#3][#5][default], which in this case is
                                              ^ size

> [serif][default][size]. There is a match for this in type-siz.tex.
> 
> Note: this is how I have explained it on my help page, but I am not sure
> it is correct. I've not been able to substitute other size typescripts,
> so I must be missing something. I don't undestand \definebodyfont or the
> size mechanism at all.
> 
> > Why is there no section [size] needed? What are the defaults? 
> 
> As above, the default size is [serif][default][size] in type-siz.tex (I
> think).
> 
> > What about encoding? For example, an OT1 font doesn't contains german
> > umlauts, a T1 font does. 
> 
> I'm puzzled in this case. A tfm is generated for a specific encoding.
> Multiple encodings for the same font would require multiple tfm's.
> Looking at one of my type1 fonts, I see the encoding I used when
> installing it:
> 
>     tftopl texnansi-sar.tfm | grep CODINGSCHEME
>     (CODINGSCHEME TEXNANSIENCODING)
> 
> This makes sense, because I used texnansi.enc when installing. But when
> I look at Metafont Duerer:
> 
>     tftopl cdr10.tfm | grep CODINGSCHEME
>     (CODINGSCHEME ASCII CAPS AND DIGITS)
> 
> What encoding is that, and how would I create a tfm with a different
> encoding?

As the creator of a metafont one can invent an encoding, say 'ASCII CAPS
AND DIGITS' which is
completly unknown by the rest of the world. And I can use T1 or OT1 or what
ever.

To create different encodings for a font the designer has to designate a
parameter or parameterfile to select that.
If the fontdesigner doesn't plan the use of different encodings, you have
to use virtual fonts, I think.

> 
> > By the way, there is also a typescript-section [special]. What can I
> > do with this?
> 
> I don't know; there are a few examples dealing with math mode in
> type-spe.tex.
> 
> > I will report about my attempts about my font 'bunt' in a second mail.
> 
> I've never dealt with multiple design sizes (and don't understand single
> design sizes yet). If you will send me your "bunt" font files I'll use
> them for testing, although it may take some time before I can get to it.
> 
> -Bill

Thank you, Wolfgang